1. Glossing
What is it?

2. Historically there was no written form for ASL.
Only recently has ASL become a written language, though this system has not yet gained acceptance with all signers.
Since ASL is not written, Deaf people have relied on the written formats of the spoken languages used around them.
A Deaf person in the United States signs in ASL but writes in English.

3. Over the years a written system has been developed by ASL teachers and researchers to translate signs into a basic form of English, this system is called glossing.
Using one language to write another has its limitations but doing so can be a quick way to convey concepts.
The first step is translating each sign into an English equivalent.

4. Each glossed word is always written in capitalized letters.
English Sentence:
What is your name?
ASL Gloss:
YOU NAME WHAT YOU?
Each glossed word is always written in capitalized letters.

5. YOU DO… Practice glossing one-word glosses: Hello Nice Yes Understand
Name
Friend
Tired
Fine
Deaf
Good

6. Many signs can’t be glossed using just one English word
Many signs can’t be glossed using just one English word. Use hyphens between each segment to show a single concept.
Example: GIVE-ME
Example: DON’T-KNOW

7. You Do…
Practice glossing the signed words

8. Before glossing a fingerspelled word you will write “fs-” you capitalize the fingerspelled term but not the “fs-”
Example: fs-BUS
Example: fs-JOHN

9. Using the index finger to point to a person, place, or thing is called deixis.
Abbreviate this with IX, and follow with another gloss or name of person to whom you are pointing.
You can also add he, she, or it in lower-case letters after IX.
Example: IX-Mom
Example: IX-he
Example: IX-fs-JILL

10. You Do… Practice signing the following glosses:
ME NAME fs-SARA. IX-he NAME fs-SEAN IX-he.
IX-she LEARN SIGN-LANGUAGE IX-she.
IX-he WANT MEET YOU
IX LAST NAME fs-COOPER IX.
fs-MARC DEAF. IX-he MY FRIEND IX-he.
IX-she NAME fs-TARA IX-she.
IX HARD-OF-HEARING IX.
IX-he BUSY IX-he.
IX-she NAME fs-RITA IX-she.
IX SICK IX.

11. You Do… Practice glossing the following sentences. He is Deaf.
She is Mary
He is confused.
She is Kelly.
He is hearing.

12. Glossing classifiers requires two parts
Glossing classifiers requires two parts. Gloss the classifier with “CL:” then add the concept described by the classifier in English.
Example: CL :Bent V “person sitting down”

13. You Do… Practice glossing the following. Motorcycle on a bumpy road.
Walking upstairs
Yesterday you got in a car accident
Walking away
Two people walking towards you.

14. When there are two or more parts to a single sign, use a + between each sign.
Example: SUN+SHINE
Example: MLK+DAY

15. Possessive signs like his, hers, its, and theirs have “POSS-” written before the sign.
Example: POSS-hers
Her book.
My favorite
His birthday is in February
Is this water yours?
We Do…

16. Non-manual signals formed by the eyebrows, head, and lips must be included.
First, draw a line above the glossed sentence, followed by specific descriptions for the non-manual signal written above the glossed term that uses the NMS.
___confused___
Example: ME DON’T-KNOW

17. When the same NMS is used throughout a sentence, such as the WH-Face or the Question Maker, write the NMS at the beginning and end of the sentence.
wh wh
Example: YOU NAME WHAT YOU?

18. You Do… Practice glossing WH Questions: Where? What? You live where?
Who?
You?

19. WH questions are shown by writing wh or whq over the gloss. _whq_
Raising they eyebrows to ask a yes/no question is written with a q over the gloss.
_q_
Example: YOU
WH questions are shown by writing wh or whq over the gloss.
_whq_
Example: WHERE
Write above the gloss the word mouthed by the lips for signs that have non-manual signals attached to them.
__cha__
Example: CL:CLAW

20. We Do… Gloss the following adding Non-Manual Signals Don’t
Don’t Understand Hi
Mad
Question
Yes
Nice to meet you
Are you Kris?

21. You Do…
Insert the appropriate Non-Manual Signals into each glossed sentence:
WEEKEND DO-DO YOU?
YOU fs-CHRIS HUH?
TURN-OFF-VOICE
NO ME-NOT HEARING ME-NOT
YOU HUNGRY HUH?

22. Avoid adding English words that are not signed, like is and are.
Use the ++ symbol for the signs that are repeated or show a recurring action.
Example: MEET-MANY-PEOPLE++
Approach glossing as a labeling exercise: Label only what is signed and its corresponding non-manual signals.
Avoid adding English words that are not signed, like is and are.